Cambodia, France Sign MoU to Enhance Legal System Digitization

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Vongsey Vissoth, also Minister Attached to the Office of the Council of Ministers and Chairman of the Committee for Legal Reform, presided over and witnessed the signing of a Letter of Intent between the Committee for Legal Reform (CLR) and the Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (DILA) of France. The ceremony took place at the DILA headquarters in Paris, France. Representing the CLR was Secretary of State Ly Chandara, who also serves as the Secretary-General of the CLR. DILA was represented by its Director, Véronique LEHIDEUX. DILA is an institution directly under the French Prime Minister. The primary objective of this Letter of Intent is to establish significant cooperation between the two institutions. This includes the exchange of experiences, sharing of knowledge, and provision of technical assistance in the preparation, development, and deployment of digital platforms similar to France's "Légifrance" and "Vie Publique." It also aims to implement innovative systems that assist in the drafting of laws and legal instruments, comparable to France's "ÉDILE." In his address during the signing ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Vongsey Vissoth expressed his profound gratitude to Ms. Véronique LEHIDEUX and her colleagues for their efforts in organizing this cooperation between DILA and the CLR. He stated that the signing is a testament to the long-standing friendship and robust cooperation between Cambodia and France. He highlighted that it will foster mutual learning and exchange of knowledge and experiences, thereby strengthening the foundation for legal reform, quality enhancement, and modernization through the use of digital platforms. These platforms will facilitate the dissemination of laws and legal regulations, provide citizens with legal knowledge, educational materials, and relevant documents from ministries and institutions, as well as public policies, ultimately promoting citizen participation and increasing the transparency of public activities. Deputy Prime Minister Vongsey Vissoth further emphasized that public officials require accurate, reliable, user-friendly, and up-to-date legal texts to perform their duties effectively. Similarly, citizens and business operators need to understand relevant laws and regulations to correctly exercise their rights and fulfill their obligations. He noted that while digital technology can aid reform goals, the effectiveness of such systems depends not only on technology but also on clear work procedures, accurate and timely information, and well-defined roles and responsibilities for system management and maintenance. In this regard, Cambodia welcomes the exchange of knowledge and experience from DILA, both in technical aspects and institutional mechanisms, to support the dissemination of legal information and the modernization of laws in Cambodia, particularly in the preparation and drafting of laws and legal instruments. The Deputy Prime Minister confirmed his direct follow-up on the implementation of this Letter of Intent and requested the development of an action plan that clearly defines priorities, roles, responsibilities, and timelines for execution. This will ensure the effective cooperation between the two institutions and contribute to the fruitful advancement of Cambodia's legal reform efforts, meeting the needs of the Cambodian government and the entire socio-economic landscape. During the occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister and his delegation also engaged in discussions and exchanged experiences, gaining insights into DILA's practical work concerning the management of legal information, providing information, and clarifying administrative procedures for citizens and businesses through platforms such as the "Journal Officiel" (Official Gazette), "Légifrance" (website for legal texts and court decisions), "Service-Public.fr" (public services website), "Vie Publique.fr" (website for laws and policies related to public affairs), and the system for managing the procedure for drafting legal instruments.